Australian Football

Match Report

The last match of round seven saw one of the upsets of the season as Brisbane controlled the last three quarters of its match against Port Adelaide to defeat the Power by 37 points at the Gabba on Sunday. The Lions trailed by seven points at quarter time but outscored Port in each of the last three terms to win comfortably. It was their second win on end, after breaking their 'duck' against Carlton in round six. 

Port Adelaide started the match as expected, in control and kicking the first two majors, via Angus Monfries and Robbie Gray. The Lions, however, managed to shut down the Power's avenues to goal after that and Port did not register a score in the second half of the term. The Lions didn't make much of a mark on the scoreboard themselves in that period, but a goal to Josh Green at the 23-minute mark ensured that Brisbane was only seven points behind at the first break and well in touch.

It was expected that if one team was going to break away in the second term, that team would be Port Adelaide but after the Power's Kane Cornes answered a goal from Brisbane's Mitch Robinson, it was the Lions that ran rampant. Green, ex-Cat Allen Christensen, Daniel McStay, Matthew Leuenberger and Christensen again all added goals and Brisbane found itself in unfamiliar territory at half time, 21 points ahead.

Still, the expectation was that the Power would regroup after the long break and work their way back into the match, and after Jed Adcock kicked the first goal of the third term, Monfries kicked a brace fort Port to cut the difference to 15 and it looked like that would indeed be the case. But the Lions kicked three of the remaining four goals of the quarter, one each to Robinson, Dayne Beams and Green, with Port's only reply coming from Jay Schulz. At the last change, Brisbane held sway by 25 points.

Robinson extended the margin to 29 with the first goal of the last quarter, and there was to be no coming back from there for the Power. Chad Wingard kicked the next for Port but Brisbane rattled on the following three majors though Ryan Lester, Daniel Rich and Lewis Taylor before Port debutant registered a consolation goal for the Power just before the final siren to cut the Lions' final winning margin to 37.

For the Lions, Dayne Beams (32 disposals, six marks), Rich (23 possessions, six tackles) and Robinson (16 touches and three goals) were standouts, while the Power's best included Robbie Gray (10 tackles, 25 possessions), Travis Boak (27 touches and eight tackles) and Wingard (25 disposals, one goal).

Having climbed from bottom place to 16th in the p;last two weeks, Brisbane will play Essendon at Docklands next Sunday in search of a third consecutive win. Port, which sits a game plus percentage outside the top eight, will look to reignite its season with a home win over Richmond at the Adelaide Oval on the same day.

GOALS
Brisbane: Green, Robinson 3; Christensen 2; Taylor, Rich, McStay, Leuenberger, Lester, D.Beams, Adcock
Port Adelaide: Monfries 3; Amon, Cornes, Schulz, Gray, Wingard

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Brisbane: Rich, D.Beams, Robinson, Taylor, Martin, Robertson
Port Adelaide: Gray, Wingard, Boak, Monfries, Lobbe

BEST - BRISBANETIMES.COM.AU
Brisbane: Beams, Rich, Taylor, Robinson, Martin, Green
Port Adelaide: Gray, Boak, Wingard, Monfries, Hartlett, Lobbe

INJURIES
Brisbane: C.Beams (knee) replaced in selected side by Aish
Port Adelaide: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Brisbane: Mitch Golby replaced Tom Cutler in the fourth quarter
Port Adelaide: Karl Amon replaced Matt White in the third quarter

UMPIRE: Foot, Meredith, Mollison

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Anthony Hudson, Brad Johnson, Jonathan Brown, Cameron Mooney